Winter's Frost
by Maejirase
Summary: The fall of the United States government has led to the raise of a new hostile government. Lark and her family are separated and thrown into concentrations camps. Lark is placed under a high ranking officer and his assistant. But something about the two of them isn't right. Follow Lark as she finds out their secret and finds out that there's a way to help her and her family.


Winter's Frost

By: Lark Maejirase

Dismal grey skies were all I could see above me. Dusty swirls of snow danced around me gently as I trekked through the drifts. Icy winds cut through the layers of winter gear that were trying to keep me warm. My teeth chattered beneath my woolen scarf. My hands were balled up, clenching and unclenching to keep frostbite at bay. Snow crunched beneath my feet and twigs snapped as I brushed past branches of fir pines.

I've been traveling for several days. This was my attempt of escaping from the labor camp that I had been at for the past year and a half. I had left in the dead of night on the Harvest Moon, whatever date that happened to fall on. So far, my escape has been successful; there were no dogs or guards tracking me, at least not yet.

I don't know where I am heading, somewhere out west I hope. I was told by a dear friend, whom I met in the compounds, that in the west there was a gate that would take the refugees elsewhere. A gate to a new world that would help protect us.

I stumbled and fell into the powdery ice pile. I sat up quickly and looked around. The brush was getting thicker and the moonlight was becoming fainter. It was getting harder to see where I was going. I crawled under the nearest fir tree and started to setup a make shift enclosure that would protect me from the harsh north winds and keep me out of sight from anyone that could be following me. I pulled branches together and intertwined them. I brought out a blanket that I had managed to sneak out of the camp with me. Wrapping myself up in it, I slept on the sack that held other things. Darkness soon over took me and I slept in peace.

* * *

**Next Morning**

* * *

SPLOOSH! I jerked up from my slumber, hands flailing over my face with attempts of getting the chilling wake-up call off of my face. After wiping off the snow, I dug through my sack and pulled out an MRE, Meals-Ready-to-Eat, and munched on the flatbread that was vacuumed sealed in its own personal packaging. It tasted bland, no flavor to speak of but it was enough to travel on for a few hours. I had been fortunate to find several of them from my excursions in the compounds.

Considering the new government official were trying to replace everything of the old government, it surprised me they weren't trying to make their own brand of military ration meals. Though it may have surprised me, I was grateful for that small grace. It saved me from trying to scavenge or hunt for food in the winter. I was born in the city so I have very little experience with outdoors, but my father was in the military and a hunter so I wasn't completely in the dark. I could manage if need be.

A shiver slide down my spine, the horrors of the place couldn't be compared to anything else. I leaned up against the tree trunk and gazed up at the intricate layout of the branches. Not a day goes by that I can't stop my thoughts from wondering to that nightmare.

* * *

**Flashback**

* * *

_Shortly after the election of a new party into the government; bombings, hostage takeovers, pure anarchy started erupting across the country. The new reform, called the Demo-Reps, began a cleansing. My father made attempts of getting out of the country. My mother had panic attacks every time the doorbell rang. My twin siblings and I stayed at home. My parents took us out of the school system and homeschooled us. My younger brother, Derek, and sister, Nina, didn't understand why, and I…I couldn't find the words to tell them what was going to happen to us. I knew what was going on and I was scared, frightened beyond belief. I wouldn't have ever thought that the United States would ever come to this._

_One sunny day a knock pounded on the door. My mother went to answer it. I was in the study with my siblings. My father was in the kitchen helping with lunch. A shriek sounded followed by my father's yelling. I jumped from my chair and ushered my siblings into the closet. I shut the door just as men in black SWAT gear rushed into the room. Gun barrels pointed with deadly precision at me, lasers angrily threatening to burn holes in my forehead and chest. I froze like a deer in the headlights. Next thing I knew, before I could make a move for anything, I was tackled to the ground. I cursed profusely and struggled. My arms were bound behind me with coarse rope. I was gagged with an ill tasting handkerchief; the smell reminded me of spray paint. I kicked the man, holding me down, in the back; I landed a hit and received a bash to the back of the head for it. _

_With my head drooping, my sable hair covered my vision, I still could hear the cries of my brother and sister as the closet doors were thrown open. Two bodies were tossed to the ground next to me._

"_Lark! Lark!" Nina blubbered, choking back tears as her voice cracked over and over again. Derek was trying to fight off the attackers. Still trying to clear my mind from the hazing hit, I managed to flip my hair out of the way…just in time to have a black bag get placed over my head. Then the sting of a needle was slammed into my neck. Darkness welcomed me into a temporarily blissful state. _

_I woke up on a spring cot, my back hurt. Cement walls surrounded me. Windows stared down at me from above, indifferent to what has happened to me. I shivered, the room felt cold and unwelcoming. I moved my legs and heard a rattle. I looked down. Chains. I picked one of the linking dull metal rings up and followed it. It was locked to the leg of the bed that I was in. I had several feet to walk around in but the metal irritated my skin. My ankles tingled but I was unable to itch them to relieve the agitated area._

_My family was not in the cell with me. Fear gripped my heart. My breathing picked up. What was I going to do? What was going to happen to me? Was my family all right? These questions ricocheted around in my head. _

_The jingle of keys put an end to the tormenting worries. I looked at the cell door. A man walked in. He was tall, about 6' 3" I'd say. Icy blue eyes meant to intimidate me, and it worked. They drilled into my bleak green gems. He had slicked back sandy brown hair. Pleated attire of the finest military clothing, with medals and badges telling his rank, was his choice of wear. His chiseled face bore a stern and authoritative demeanor and a scar that ran from his left eye down to his chin added an addition chilling factor to him. His voice was just as harsh as his appearance. His name was Andre Rasputin. He was the head general for the government regime, now called the Praenuntius*. He was also in charge of a secret division for interrogation of suspected traitors and cons of the old administration._

_Unable to continue to look into the cruel eyes, I focused on his shiny leather shoes. He continued to talk about reasons as to why I was here. Since my father had been in the failed government, it was by association that I was brought here. But since it under those circumstances that I was brought here, I wasn't going to be put to the work labor force but rather work as a serf for the one of the captains. As he said this, a tall man, whom I didn't see standing behind Rasputin, walked in with a smaller person followed in behind him._

_The new male figure had black wild spiky hair. Steely eyes that pierced my soul but weren't as scary as Andre's. He had wrappings, which are normally used for wounds, covering the lower part of his face, from the nose down to his neck. He was in casual dress which consisted of dark jeans, a navy polo shirt, and sneakers. Andre introduced him as Captain Zabuza, I was going to be in service to him._

_Zabuza said nothing. He just nodded and moved to the side giving me the view of the other person. Stepping forward, the figure bowed and introduced himself as Haku. To my surprise, he looked like a girl. He had pale skin like moonlight, something that reminded me of the geisha in Japan. He had grey eyes that spoke of great gentleness and loyalty. His hair was smooth and glisten with a soft sheen in the dim lighting. Just watching him sparked a hope in me. I didn't know why but I just felt like I was in the presence of an angelic guardian. _

_ Andre continued talking to me about several things, but none of it was passing through my ears. There was something about Zabuza and Haku. Their names didn't sound right, they felt out of place. Without thinking or worrying about consequences that Andre might have for disobedience, I interrupted him._

_ "Where are you from?" I asked directing my question to Haku and Zabuza._

_ Andre, reddening with fury, raised his hand and back handed me across the face. I fell on the bed and didn't move after that. My heart raced while my mind spun wild scenarios of what else could happen. Andre took a few steps closer to my cot, grabbed me by my neck, and forced me to look into his hellish eyes._

_ "When a superior is talking to you, you are to be silent. Never interrupt them. Do not talk unless you are asked too. Do I make myself clear," he chided. I nodded in understanding. He threw me onto the cot. My head and back hit the cement wall. Pain shot through my body. The springs squeaked in protest against the abuse. He turned on his heels and walked away with the military strut of a prideful peacock. He stopped by Zabuza and the clink of keys passed from his hands to Zabuza's. He returned to his strutting and walked out and down the hall._

_ Once Zabuza was sure Andre was gone, he gave Haku the keys. He walked over by me. His small hands reached for my ankles but I brought them closer to me._

_ "Miss, I'm just going to unshackle you. I promise," he said gently, his voice like that of a refreshing breeze on a hot steamy day. I nodded and moved them back out for him to unlock._

_ "Are you going to answer my question?" I asked in a hushed whisper, while he fumbled with the locks._

_ "Not now, later. Back at our rooms. It's not safe to discuss anything in the open here," he replied back in a similar tone. I nodded. The locks soon came off and I rubbed them to reveal the developing rash from the chaffing._

_ Haku backed up as I stood up on my feet. The cool floor felt heavenly for a brief moment before Haku lightly touched my left arm and guided me out of the holding cell. We stopped in the hallway. He gave Zabuza the keys, who proceeded to close and lock the cell. Zabuza then lead the way. I followed behind him with Haku on my left side. _

_Our footsteps patted faintly on the tile flooring. Fluorescent lighting beamed brightly down upon us. The stark walls blindly reflected the lighting. My eyes burned and I rubbed them several times in attempt to ease the burning. I bumped into Haku, murmuring an apology right away. He smiled kindly, my hope rose a little more. These two people were hiding something that went against completely what the new regime was doing. I wasn't quite sure why but I felt that I could trust them with my life._

_We arrived at a steel door after several twists, turns, doors, and passageways. Zabuza dug his right hand into his pocket and brought of a key card. He swiped it through the card reader that I failed to take note of until I heard the "beep-beep" confirmation sound. The door slide open with an annoyed hissing sound. Zabuza walked through followed by Haku. I stood outside peering cautiously in before Haku stopped and mentioned for me come in. Moving into the room, I took in my surrounds and tried to commit it to memory. _

_The room was a slate grey. A big bay window was opposite from the entry door. There was an ebony leather couch with a modern looking glass coffee table. Papers were scattered across the table. Two matching stripped black and white cushioned chairs were placed near the couch. Metal stairs were off to the left that went up to another level. A black walnut cabinet stood beneath the stairwell. Three additional doorways were in sight, excluding the one that stood behind me. _

_I walked over to the doorway to my right. I found it to be the kitchen. Sparkling black marble flooring with the same grey walls as in the first room reigned in this place. It had a metallic dining table with four pearl pillowed chairs. The refrigerator, oven, and microwave were a stainless steel. The counter tops were of the same marble as the flooring. Cabinetries were painted to fit the color scheme, white and black. Wall lamps and a small lighted fan of the metallic nature finished off the room._

_I walked back out and moved down and out the next door. Opening it revealed a bathroom. It was of the same monochrome nature of the first two rooms. Gray walls, sable flooring, white shower curtains, stainless steel counter tops and sink, charcoal shower space, and porcelain toilet was found in the bathroom._

_Exiting the small enclosure, I went over to the bay window to see where I was. Pulling back the curtains I discovered two things. The first was the there was a pile of pillows to sit on as for one who sits by the window for hours on end staring into the outside realm. The second thing was that the view revealed miles upon miles of wooded forestry. Thousands of pine, maples, and oaks dotted the landscape, leaving little room to see anything else. The disappearing rays of the setting sun fought against the invading nightfall._

_A delicate touch on my shoulder startled me. I spun around to come to face with Haku. He smiled reassuringly with an apologetic look in his eyes._

"_This way, I'll show you where you'll be staying," he spoke before heading towards the stairs. I followed suit. I passed the dark cabinet that was hidden beneath the stairway. Curious, I approached it and opened one of the doors. The hinges gave a little squeak. Inside were two different outfits, a large sword, and a shelf with several objects on it. There was a mask with a single red swirl on it with four squiggly slash marks at the center near the top of the mask. There was no opening for the mouth but it had two slits for eyes. There was a grey headband with a metal plate with the same four squiggly slash marks on it. Long acupuncture needles laid in perfect order on a piece of silk with a case next to them. The sword was ferociously massive. I have never seen one of such size before. It was about six feet from the blade's tip to the end of its hilt and about a foot in width. There was a hole towards the end of the blade and a missing half crescent piece from the blunt side of the blade just above the hilt. Subconsciously, I brushed my fingers against the cool metal._

"_Lark-chan?" Haku's voice sounded from behind me. I jumped and spun around closing the wardrobe door in the one fluid motion._

"_Sorry. I didn't mean to be nosey. I'm just a curious person. Sorry," I apologized, bowing repeatedly, my cheeks becoming flushed with embarrassment._

"_It's fine but it would've been better if you would've asked me first. Come on now. Once we get up stairs I'll tell you as much as you want within my limit._

_I nodded; he tenderly grasped my hand and led me upstairs. He showed me two rooms, both exact replicas of each other. A full sized bed, a walk-in closet, an oaken dresser, a small bathroom (like the one downstairs), and a desk and chair were in each of the rooms. Entering my room, I flopped onto the bed, sinking into the layers of down comforters._

"_So, where did you guys come from?" I asked as soon as Haku closed the door. He held up his left hand, telling me not yet. He crouched down and felt the flooring with his right hand._

"_What are you doing?" I whispered quietly, hoping this time to get an answer._

"_I was waiting for Zabuza-sama to put the warding guard jutsu up," he replied after a minute, standing up and taking a seat on the chair near the desk._

"_What does that do?"_

"_This apartment has small microphones and cameras in the main rooms, which-"_

"_The apartment is bugged, you mean? Why don't you just remove them?"_

"_Bugged?" confusion written over Haku's face as he tried placing the word._

"_Yeah. Bugged. A term used to describe spying devices that are placed in secret unknown places to gather information." I explained, hoping it help. I was never good at explaining things to people. _

"_Oh. We could get rid of the devices but that would only cause problems for us and we want to stay as long as possible here. It's easier to put a genjutsu on them and make them see an illusion, then risk our cover."_

"_Ah… so where are you and Captain Zabuza from? You can't possibly be native to these lands."_

"_We stick out that much?"_

"_Meh… just a little," I said, using my thumb and pointer finger to show the amount._

"_We come from a different land, actually another dimension, which is connected to Japan."_

"_That explains the suffixes you've been using."_

"_You noticed that?"_

"_Yeah, I've been intrigued by the Japanese culture for a long time. It's been my dream to live there since I was young. Its history and myths are rich. It's like dark chocolate to me. Sweet and mysterious. Never the same experience._

"_Why are you here? If you are from another dimension, why would you tangle in the affairs of what happens in this one?"_

"_Long story on that one but to shorten it, Japan contacted us when things started going downhill for the United States. One of the ways to help the US get back to normal democracy was by sending us in to infiltrate the new regime and try to bring it down from the inside out," Haku explained._

"_Hm, interesting," I mused, mulling over the information entrusted to me, "So, what are you? You mentioned genjutsu and I've heard that word before, but it was to describe the ancient arts of shinobi in Japan."_

_Haku fiddled with his fingers, his eyes shifting with nervousness. "Wow… I can't believe it's so obvious." He murmured, running a hand through his silky hair._

"_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to so…so… nosey."_

"_No, that's not the problem. It's brilliant. It's going to help you survive. The last few servants, like yourself, that we managed to sneak out and get back to our dimension to get them back on their feet, haven't assimilated to our culture and are having a great difficulty doing so. It's good to know that you can pick this up, it'll make transition easier."_

"_Wait, you've been sneaking the 'servants' that have been placed under your command, to your dimension? How are you passing them off when they disappear? Aren't your superiors suspicious of you?"_

"_Yes, we've been helping the captives entrusted to us escape, and we are not the only ones either. There are more of us in the system that are doing the same. As for how we have been doing it, genjutsus. We put an illusion making it look like they die in some way, either by suicide or getting killed by another superior, which in turn terminates them because it wasn't their serf to kill." _

"_Are you able to get entire families out?" I inquired, the spark of hope growing brighter with the thought that maybe my family, Derek, Nina, mom, dad, and I, could get out of this place and live in peace elsewhere and start anew._

"_We've tried before. It's never been the entire family, only another member or half at the most. It's difficult planning when you try something like that," pausing he looked at me briefly to see my reaction so far, he knew exactly what I was trying to get at, before continuing, "We'll try to get your family to safety also, but just remember, they aren't under our jurisdiction. So getting them out will be harder."_

"_Last question. Why are you so willing to tell me this information?"_

_Haku gazed at the floor. Giving great thought into this answer. He looked up at me and replied, "Would you rather have been told of a chance to get out and prepare yourself for it? Or would you rather have it been kept secret, feared for what could happen to you daily, have a misplaced distrust in us, while slowly piecing in clues that you've learned through observing us and sneaking around when we aren't here?"_

_Haku was right. It was better to get the information out in the open to clip the root of uncertainty that could lead to unwanted results. I was wary still because if I believed what he has told, believed that he is a ninja from another dimension, wouldn't that mean he's an expert of making people believe anything he says? It was a possibility but my gut was telling me to follow whenever this lead, despite what my logical mind was thinking._

_I nodded in agreement. "It makes sense," I paused weighing whether I wanted to ask my question, "So what can I do to help?"_

_A smirk spread across his angelic face, pleased that I was taking the offer of freedom without any quarrel, "Good. This makes things much easier. First, I'll have to train you, so you'll at least be able to fight decent and have a chance in my home realm. Since we have no training area for captives because that could lead to a rebellion and Kami knows what else this regime is thinking, we'll have to use one of the rooms up here. Otherwise, you can't do much-."_

"_We can move this mattress into your room and shove the furniture against the walls or in the closet," I interrupted, gears working in my head about my future training. _

_Haku laughed and ruffled my hair, "It seems you already have much planned out. Let's start then."_

_I practically jumped off the bed from my excitement. My thoughts racing like the speed of light. Haku put the chair in the back of the walk-in-closet. I took off the blankets and pillows from the bed and dumped them in the hallway, out of our way so we wouldn't trip over them when we moved the mattress. Haku waited patiently by the foot of the bed. I bounded to the head of the bed and gripped the bottom of the mattress. We flipped it on its side in perfect sync and moved it out of my room and onto the floor of his room in expert style as if we had rehearsed this move countless times._

_I grabbed the bedding that I had left in the hallway and put it back nicely on the mattress. I then helped Haku take the bed frame apart, and put it and the box spring inside the closet. He dug around in the closet looking for something. I leaned up against the doorframe and watched questioningly before asking, "What are you looking for?"_

_Haku didn't answer me until I heard an 'A-ha!', followed by him grabbed a few pieces of clothing and tossed them in my direction. I fumbled with them in midair, taken by surprise from the sudden flying objects._

"_Getting you better clothing to train in for the moment. Though, you'll have to fight in whatever you happen to be wearing, so we'll start with those… but enough about that. Go change into those and we'll start," he replied finally while ushering me into the bathroom to change. _

_Shutting the door behind me, I took off my dark wash jeans and my black long sleeved shirt. I tossed them into a pile in the corner and put on the Under Armor like items, skintight leggings, a stretchy mini skirt, a long sleeved turtleneck. I looked in the mirror and felt out of place. I've never worn leggings or miniskirts before, they and the turtleneck didn't seem like they'd go together. I shrugged the thought off and left the bathroom._

_Haku was standing in the center of the room. At the sound of the clicking closed door, he looked at me. His facial features betrayed seriousness but his slate eyes held hidden mirth. _

"_We'll start with the basics and work with them until you have them down. After that, and depending the rate at which you pick this up, we'll work on more advanced techniques," he instructed as I took a seat on the floor, bringing my knees to my chest. _

"_We'll train in the morning and in the evening. Possibly in the afternoon, if time allows. We'll work around our compound schedules. Remember, we must keep our cover intact. Training sessions run from early in the morning 'til we are needed, and run late into the night. You understand?" he finished, crouching down in front of me and poking my forehead. _

_Haku pulled me up as he stood up. He helped me into my first stance, a mediation technique that required me to stand still and hold a certain hand position. We then spent the rest of that day going through stances and motions. He taught me about the how the shinobi, or ninja, of his realm use chakra, which could be easily compared to the thought of magic in ours. We continued late into the night just as he said we would. He finally said it was time to call it quits and sent me to change in the bathroom and then hit the sack. As I showered, I couldn't help but giggle at how he picked up our world's slang or gibberish talk._

_Finishing in the bathroom, I walked into Haku's room quietly, seeing that he was already in his bed. I slipped in between the blankets in the sleepwear that I had managed to find in the closet in my original room. My body was tired and I fell into a deep slumber not long after my head hit the pillow._

_My eyes fluttered open from feel of repeated nudging on my shoulder. My blurred sight soon cleared to reveal Haku sitting next to me, already fully clothed to start the day. I sat up and rubbed the crusty sand out of my eyes._

"_Time to wake up," Haku chirped before dashing out of the room. I watched, amused at his energy. I flopped back down and stared blankly at the ceiling. I don't recall any dreams but the past few days pretty much felt like a dream, but waking up and seeing Haku's face, reinstated the fact that it wasn't from my imagination. Sighing, I got up and dressed in the bathroom before going to the "training" room. Haku was in there already, staring out the window in there. As I entered, he turned. Once I went to the center, we started the same routine from the previous night._

_Two hours later, Haku stopped the session and told me to go clean myself up and head downstairs to eat. I left without a word and did as instructed. I changed into a more reasonable outfit, exchanging my training outfit in for baggy cargo pants and a simple dark grey shirt. I then proceeded to head downstairs to munch on something to eat._

_Upon entering the kitchen area, my nose was greeted with the delicious aroma of scrambled eggs and buttered toast. Haku was busy moving between the stove and the toaster, cooking breakfast. I glanced at the table and noticed that it was already set. Two glasses, plates, and forks lay on the spotless table._

_Haku turned around, flashed at smile, and brought over a pan of eggs and a plate with a stack of toast to the table. He signaled me to come get something to eat as he sat down. Joining him, I sat on the opposite of him. We ate in silence._

_Several minutes went by and I cleaned the food off of my plate and set it in the sink. Taking note that I hadn't seen Captain Zabuza, I decided to ask, "What are my duties and where is Captain Zabuza?"_

_Finishing his plate, Haku got up and placed his plate on top of mine, before informing me, "Zabuza-san left early this morning for his duties. You won't see him until later, most likely. I'll take you to where the daily duties are passed out to the serfs. From there, you'll be sent to another area for work."_

"_Where do you go?"_

"_I go with Captain Zabuza to the fields to keep an eye on the workers."_

_I paused before asking my next question, I was wary that he would not know, "Do you know where they took my family?"_

_It was Haku's turn to think before coming up with an answer. "They'd most likely be put in the fields. I'll keep an eye out for them and tell them that you're okay if I do see them," he responded, even answering a question that I was going to ask. _

"_Thanks, Haku. But before you tell them anything because they aren't most likely going to believe you, say 'thirteen feathers may fly apart but they'll forever touch our hearts'. It's a saying I came up with that has holds special meaning between the five of us. They'll know that you've at least had contact with me and trust you. No one else would know it." He nodded in agreement._

"_Let's go then," he said as he headed for the door. I followed behind him but made sure mental notes on how to get to the assignment room. As soon as we exited the apartment, we headed down to the left and made a sharp right turn before passing ten doors and making a left turn. We continued down past five corridors, took a right, and stopped at the first ash wood door. Haku opened the door and entered without hesitation, me close behind._

_The room was barren of any decor or color. Stark white attacked my eyes from every direction imaginable. I had to blink several times to lessen the blinding plainness._

"_Well, well, well, look at what we have here. Finally, found a new girl to replace that old one Captain Tanners killed. Shame, last one wasn't bad on the eyes. Hmm, this one doesn't seem too bad either. How come you get all the goods looking chicks?" whined a timber male voice. _

_I peered around Haku's shoulder to see a man sitting behind a desk. The man did little to hide his mood from his facial expressions. It was quite obvious he was bored he had a pencil balancing on his nose and his eyes flickered between me and his focal concentration point, the ceiling. He wore an old ACU uniform that was no longer the normal sand or forest camouflage pixel design but a deep navy. His coffee brown hair was in a military buzz cut fashion. Cerulean eyes dull with boredom sparked with interest as our eyes meet._

"_It's talk like that, that will get you in trouble or worse, Sanders," Haku's voice snapped. Icy venom dripped from his words. I blinked at him. Was this the same boy that was just making me breakfast this morning?_

"_All right, I'll keep my pants on," Sanders commented, waving his hands back and forth in a passive manner._

"_Now, help her with what she is to do and get her on her way to her tasks. Should you have problems, let me or Captain Zabuza know immediately. We'll deal with any needed punishments," Haku clipped before turning around without another word._

_I stood fast. What do I do now? Sanders was watching me. His eyes were roaming over my body. I crossed my arms in a sad attempt to put distance between me and him. I noted to myself to bring a baggy hooded sweatshirt tomorrow._

"_So, you have a name, sweetheart?" he asked politely but his eyes betrayed the flirting intent._

"_I'm called Lark, sir," I deadpanned, heaving a sigh and deciding to get out of here as fast as humanly possible. "What is my assignment for today?"_

_He chuckled, sifting through papers on the desk that were sprawled out before him. Picking one up, he eyed it and declared, "Here we go, a perfect job for a pretty little birdie like you." _

_I stepped forward to grab the sheet of paper that was in hand but he jerked it away from me at the last second._

"_Nah-un, you have to earn this first, sweet cakes." I almost gagged when those words left his lips. I blanched. Worry and fear started to settle in my stomach, producing queasy butterflies that rose to my head. My mind then started with scenarios at what he could possible want, which he could get away with. _

"_Oh, don't look like it's going to kill you. Just a peck on the cheek," he pointed to his right side of his face. I swallowed my fear and closed the distance between us. My lips touched his shaved cheek. I pulled back a millisecond later. Not wanting any other unwanted contact with him. _

"_See. It wasn't that bad," he smirked handing over the paper. I snatched at and read it. I read it. Then reread it. I wanted to smack my head so much. My assignment was to sort papers in the office. THIS office. WITH Sanders. I glanced at him, he was back to watching me. A confident and delighted grin on his face. _

"_What needs to be done in here?" I sighed, giving in._

"_It's fairly easy stuff; I'll show you in the adjoining room." Sanders got up and walked into the room that was connected to this one. I followed. The new one looked as plain as the first one. He pointed to a desk with a mound of disaster. No wonder they needed a paper pushing job._

"_These papers and files need to be sorted alphabetically into the filing cabinets here," he pointed from one thing to the other, "Understand?"_

_I nodded._

"_Good. I'll leave you to your work. If you need anything, just holler and I've have someone get it." Sanders left without another statement. I stared at the desk. Cracking my knuckles and stretching a bit, I sat down in the chair provided and tackled the task._

_Hours flew by; I sorted and filed everything in the workspace. My fingers were riddled with paper cuts. Bandages covered bandages. I prayed that tomorrow I went elsewhere for work. Despite saying he'd leave me alone to work, Sanders did the contrary and bothered me every half hour to make sure I was doing fine._

_Finally finishing my charge, I glanced at the clock on the wall. Its face told me that it was roughly 4:00. Deciding it was time to leave, I cleaned what was left on the now spotless desk and walk back to the main room._

"_You need anything, hun?" Saunders cooed._

"_No, unless asking to leave is considered a need?" I retorted._

"_It can be a need depending on the person. Are you finished?"_

"_Yes, sir, I am finished."_

"_All right then. You may leave. See you tomorrow for your next assignment."_

"_Looking forward to it," I replied sarcastically. I restrained myself from dashing out of the place as Sanders chuckled from my comment. If I had to deal with him every day, I either had two choices: one, get him moved elsewhere or two, have him mysteriously die._

_I wondered back to the apartment at a leisurely pace. I took in the sights. Everything looked identically except the signs that I came to notice. Brass, silver, purple heart, oak, green, red signs filled the empty walls. Adding splashes of color here and there. Soon my meandering brought me to Zabuza and Haku's apartment._

_I knocked before I entered, just to let anyone inside know that I was entering. I preferred to stay in people's good graces of politeness then ruin everything with rudeness. I opened the door and looked around. No one was around. Fatigue crept into my mind and a nap suddenly sounded nice. _

_Walking up to the second floor, I made my way to my bed. I stripped out of my clothes and put on some sweats. I crawled into bed and fell soundly asleep._

_I was awoken to the slamming of the apartment door from below. I sat up, rubbed my eyes, and got outta bed. Climbing down the stairs, I saw Zabuza lying on the couch sleeping. I glanced around the room to see if Haku had returned. He was not in sight. I tip-toed into the kitchen, he wasn't in there either. The dishes in the sink were still not cleaned. I moved towards the sink and started filling them up to wash the dishes._

_Humming a simple tune, I breezed through the washing and drying. Once I finished with that, I took it upon myself to make dinner. I peeked in the refrigerator to see what was in there to work with. The fridge was filled with various foods. Trying to keep it simple, I decided to make a chicken stir fry. Bringing out the wanted ingredients and proper pans, I began to whip it up._

_The sizzling of the chicken and the aroma of frying vegetables made my stomach rumble and my mouth water for the anticipated meal. Taking a break from the frying, I checked on the boiling water of noodles. It wasn't long before I was setting the table for the evening meal._

"_Wow, seems that you been busy," commented a familiar voice behind me. I whipped around to see Haku standing in the kitchen doorway._

"_I thought, I'd cook dinner since you made breakfast," I replied with a small hesitant smile like I had been caught red handed telling a lie._

"_It's fine. Mmmm, smells delicious."_

"_It's almost done. Can you wake Captain Zabuza, so he can eat?"_

"_No need to," stated a deep gruff voice. Captain Zabuza appeared behind Haku and lumbered into the kitchen. His eyes fluttered fighting off Morpheus' spell._

_Zabuza and Haku sat at the table as I brought over the wok pan of stir fry. Placing the pan down, I sat, and we began digging into the chow. There was no talking for the better part of the meal. Our minds were too busy for such nonsense. _

_Minutes ticked by from the clock on the wall. Captain Zabuza was the first done. He walked over to place his dishes in the sink and was about to walk out of the room when he stopped and complemented me with, "Good cooking, Lark. Much better than what's served by the compound."_

_When Zabuza left the room and the bedroom door downstairs closed, Haku smiled gently. "He likes you," he stated simply._

_I choked on my food. "Wha-What?" I stammered._

"_He thinks you're going to do great back in our realm. He thinks you're fairly skilled and hold great potential." Haku paused before continuing, "He doesn't say such things often. If he says that about you, it means he thinks very highly of you. That you've earned his respect."_

"_Oooh… Question," I asked hesitantly._

"_Yes?"_

"_Did you find my family?"_

"_Yes and I told them what you said and we got talking. They're relieved to know that you're safe."_

"_How are they doing?"_

"_Fair. A little beaten up, but have high spirits."_

"_That's good."_

"_Yeah…Well, let's hurry up and eat. Then, we'll go to training."_

_I nodded in agreement. We finished the meal and put everything in the sink. I said I would wash them later. We ran upstairs for the training session, and that's how my days went. Train in the early morning, eat, get my daily assignment, come back, nap or do chores, make supper, then train in the evening._

_The days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Haku updated me whenever he saw my family. Zabuza kept an eye out for any cuts on me that didn't come for my job. Apparently, superiors weren't supposed to harshly damage each other's serfs. They were allowed to beat the serfs but massive injury that inhabited the serfs' duties weren't allowed. I learned this quickly when one of my assignments put me under the command of a superior, who would beat the captives if they weren't efficient with their task. I had bruises and small scrapes all over me. Haku would help me treat them but they'd just come back the next day. It wasn't that bad. I was still living and that's all that mattered. _

_One day, Haku came back from his rounds with a heavy and grim expression. He wouldn't tell or talk to me. I didn't understand why he was acting that way. I asked Zabuza and he told me the news. My mother had been bound to a tree and was whipped for something that she had not done "right" apparently, while my father had tried to intervene but he got shot. My younger brother was furious with this and had attacked the guard. He had put up a good fight. He had managed to knock the gun out of the guard's arms, while my sister tried to help my mother out of there. More armed men came to settle the disturbance and at the sight, shot the three of them._

_Zabuza watched me as I crumpled to the floor. My heart was devastated. Almost a year, my family and I had managed to stay alive. Hoping we'd escape together, but now there was only me. I was the only one left now, only me with the chance of escaping alive. My family was killed because they were trying to protect what they had left, each other. Tears streamed from my emerald eyes. My sobs locked deep inside my chest._

_Haku finally approached me. He knelt down beside and hugged me to help ease the pain. I cried into his shoulder for a while. Zabuza had left and went into his room, giving me space._

"_Come on, let's get you to bed. We won't train tonight or tomorrow," Haku suggested in a hushed tone. He pulled me up when he stood, but my legs refused to hold me up, so I ended up crashing back to the ground. He crouched down, picked me up in his arms, and carried me up to my bed. _

_Haku laid me carefully on the bed and covered me up. He brushed my hair out of myself. His eyes filled with mixed emotions that I couldn't place. He then left the room and I was left to dwell on my misery._

_My tears had slowed down but my heart ached worse than before. I had trouble falling asleep. I estimated it was a good three hours before I exhausted myself from crying and drifted to sleep._

_The next morning, I woke up but I didn't budge from the bed. I stared at the ceiling, trying to organize my thoughts out into some sane order. Haku came in and asked how I was doing. I couldn't get myself to respond. He asked if I was up to my assignment. I shook my head. He said he'd take care of informing the proper superiors about my situation, lying by saying that I was ill. He left and I was once again left with my thoughts. _

_The rest of the morning passed into the afternoon. The afternoon slid into the evening. The door squeaked open and slammed shut, informing me that Captain Zabuza was back. A little while later, the same hinges creaked open and shut; Haku was back. The stairs groaned as he headed up to check on me. The bedroom door open and he sat on the edge of the mattress._

"_Hey… have you eaten today at all?" Haku asked, grasping my hand and massaging it to comfort me. _

_I shook my head._

_He sighed, "I was only able to get you two days off for you if you needed it."_

"_There's no need," I croaked, my voice cracking from the little use, "I'll go back to my daily routine tomorrow."_

"_You sure? You are up to it?"_

"_It doesn't matter. I'll force myself to get over it and worry about grieving later."_

"_Lark..." Haku started, his eyes filled with concern_

"_Don't even go there, Haku. If I stay like this I'll get nowhere with anything," I defended, putting as much determination as I could muster into my voice._

"_But if you do that you may not get the chance to do it. You'll be killing the one thing that keeps you connected with this place, your feelings"_

"_I don't care. Besides, 'shinobi don't need emotions. They are tools to be used. A broken tool is a useless tool,'" I quoted._

"_But you're not one yet and if I had the choice, I'd make sure you wouldn't have to." Frustration was creeping into his placid face. He had told me many times during training what the ways of the ninja are. One of them being that you must never show emotion, no matter the situation. It could end with disastrous results. It was the one thing he didn't want to happen to me. I knew that much, but I knew that if I was to survive, it have to be the one thing I need to take upon myself._

"_Haku," I murmured, taking my hand and caressing his face, "I may not want it fully, but if I don't, I won't make it. You know that."_

_He sighed, "Yes… just promise me that you'll hold on to what makes you still you, okay?"_

"_I promise," I said sitting up and placing a small peck on his cheek, "Just remember to wake me up for training tomorrow now." I lay back down and went to sleep, but not before catching sight of his flushed cheeks just before I went into a deep slumber._

_True to his promise, Haku woke me up the next morning and my day returned to its normalcy. Days went by and faded into weeks. Weeks slowly transitioned into months. The training was moving into the advanced techniques. The bruising and scrapes continued. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Until just a few weeks ago, when one of my superiors took the beatings too far and ended up slashing a deep gash into my chest._

_When I arrived back later in the apartment, it was late in the evening, after Zabuza and Haku had come back. I walked in, clutching my chest, and rushing for the bathroom. I slammed and locked the door before I started treating my wound. I took of my shirts and gingerly applied rubbing alcohol, trying to keep quiet as possible. There were three knocks at the door before Haku's voice asked from behind, "Lark? Are you okay?"_

"_Yeah," I lied trying to keep the pain out of my voice, "Just fine. Just a few scrapes to clean is all."_

"_You want me to help?"_

"_No, I have it covered… Ow. Son of a."_

"_Lark!" The doorknob rattled._

_Panic set in. I tried cleaning up the mess on the counter. Blood ran down my body and dripped onto the sink area. _

_The handle jiggled again. "Lark! Unlock the door please," Haku commanded._

_I didn't make a move to let him in. He'd have it open without my help. I was concentrating on hiding the evidence. There was one last shake on the handle before it turned with a click. I went wide eyed and threw a towel over my chest. I stood in front of the blood stained stink as Haku entered._

"_Lark, what's wrong?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_Liar. I smell blood and more of it then there normally is. Spit it out."_

_I mentally cursed myself. I had temporarily forgotten what Haku told me. Back in his realm, he was a hunter nin, which specialized in hunting down rouge shinobi. Tracking by any means necessary; sight, land impressions, or scent._

"_My supervisor just got a little carried away with the beating today, that's all." I bluffed, throwing a small smile to sounding more convincing._

"_Let me see," he beckoned._

_Timidly, I removed the towel from my wound. Haku didn't say anything, but his hands clenched at his sides and his knuckles became white. His face held a hidden fury waiting to be unleashed. _

"_Who was it?" he deadpanned, I flinched._

"_Rasputin," I confessed, afraid for the first time of Haku._

_Haku closed his eyes, took a quick intake of breath then slowly released it. He flexed his hands several times. Finally after a few uncomfortable minutes of fearing a backlash, Haku visibly calmed down, though I had a feeling there was still thunder rumbling within. He had me sit on the counter. He proceeded to clean the wound with extreme care. Then instead of applying the normal bandages to the wound, he used a healing jutsu, which allows him to use his charka to help my body to regenerate cells faster, healing me quicker. _

_As Haku was healing me, Captain Zabuza walked in already in mid question with, "What's the commo-," then quickly changing to, "Who the hell did that?"_

"_Rasputin," Haku answered, beating me to the punch line._

"_That's it," was all Zabuza said before storming out to go elsewhere. A moment later, I heard a loud crash that caused me to jump. I glanced at Haku for answers to what was going to happen, but he didn't give any and I wasn't about to ask Zabuza._

_Haku finished healing me up. He made a move for the door, but stopped short of it. He turned around, his eyes glazed with warring emotions. He shook his head in an attempt to stifle the conflicting._

"_Lark," his voice wavered, "Go shower upstairs, and then hit the sack. Don't worry about training tonight. You're ready to make it in my world. Also, don't worry about tomorrow; use it to rest as much as you can."_

_Haku then walked out, leaving me a state of confusion. This was very unlike him. It was starting to worry me. Questions slowly surfaced. What does he mean? What's going to happen? What did I do? Part of me thought about snooping around to found out what those two were up to, but the other part sided against it, fearing a backlash worse than Rasputin's. So, I did as I was instructed, I went upstairs, showered, and went to bed._

_I had a hard time falling asleep. My thoughts continually returned to what had transpired this evening. I shuddered at the thought of Haku's sudden… bloodlust?... need for vengeance?... I didn't know. All I knew, or felt, was that something bad was going to come out of this. During the midst of my inner turmoil, I fell into a nightmarish sleep that left me tossing and turning throughout the night._

_The next morning, I woke up to eerie silence. I sat up and called for Haku. There was no answer. Sighing, I got up, showered and got dressed. Heading downstairs to eat, I stopped at the foot of the stairs and stood in awe at the scene before me. Papers from the coffee table had been shoved onto the floor. Supplies of several things had replaced the papers. Backpacking sacks sat in the chairs. Clothing was sprawled everywhere. I walked around, observing the disaster zone._

_Something caught my eye from my peripheral view. It was the cabinet that I had inspected over a year ago. A door was slightly a jar, which was odd considering neither Haku nor Zabuza ever opened it that I knew of. I pulled open it further and discovered an empty closet. Fear gripped me. If the weapons and battle grub were gone, it could only mean one thing. The one thing that bound all superiors; they weren't allowed to severely injury another's serf. The one rule that Haku and Zabuza took to heart and had told me that they had carried out the proper sentence for the official that disobeyed it._

_I gulped. This was bad. Very bad. I paced and fiddled with my hands to relieve the tension but it was useless. I went into the kitchen to eat, hoping that eating would help calm me. To my surprise, there was a note on the dining table. It had Haku's neat hand writing on it explaining everything that my mind was desperately trying to cover up._

**"Lark,**

**There is some food in the fridge that you can reheat in the microwave.**

**Zabuza-san and I went to terminate the problem. We suspect that this will cause an uproar. We started to pack since we'll most likely have to flee the compounds. Continue to pack. Dress in proper attire for the outdoors. In addition, check under the second floorboard near the head your mattress on the right side.**

** See you soon,**

**Haku"**

_I gripped the note tightly. It appears that my conclusion was right. Haku and Zabuza went to avenge me. Rasputin was a dead man. _

_I rushed to heat up the meal that Haku took time to make for me and ate it. I followed what had been left in my care, packing the sacks. As I was repacking, I found that there were MREs at the bottom of the sacks. I didn't know that Haku had been storing these._

_After I was done packing and cleaning the room, I went upstairs to get into warmer clothing. I found thermal clothing in the training room closet. I put those under some jeans and sweaters. I then I went into the bedroom. I sat on my mattress and examined the floorboards. Nothing seemed out of place. I took a closer look at the second plank near where I would rest my head when I slept. It looked plain. Not uneven or warped like I expected. The only thing was that there was no seal on it. I pressed down in the middle of the board but nothing happened._

_I continued to sit and stare at the flooring, hoping that it would magical reveal whatever secret Haku had put underneath. Frustration began to take root. What was Haku trying to do? I didn't understand at all if he wanted me to get something, why all the trouble of getting it? _

_I screamed out in frustration and flopped backwards. I glared angrily at the ceiling. The more I looked at the ceiling, the more I noticed something out of place. There was something sticky out from under the lighting fixture._

_I got up and moved a chair under the light and pulled the object out. It was another note. I opened it and read it. It was instructions to get the hidden device._

**"Lark,**

**We have trained long and hard to help ensure that you'll survive in my realm. This is going to be a test. If you can manage to get the object before I get back, it'll reassure me that if we get separated, you'll be able to take care of yourself. **

**Good luck,**

**Haku"**

_ I gawked at the note. A test? A test! Might as well have one now than screw myself over later. I trudged over to the board and stomped on it. Nothing, still no reaction. I sat on the ground and pondered over this problem. _

_ Okay, so during training aside from the physical attacks, what else did we work on? Let's see there was the history of the three great ninja wars. We went over the structure of society for the lands. There was the overview of pressure points and the anatomical structure of the body. We had extensive sessions on the types of jutsus along with the many use for chakra._

_That's when the light clicked. Chakra! The secret to opening the hatch was to use chakra. It sounded easy but I had a hard time trying to focus such a simple concept. One of the exercises that Haku had me do was to cover my hand in a coat of chakra to prevent it from burn damage when I past it through fire. Needless to say, I failed. I received a second degree burn on my left hand that Haku had to heal, but he pointed out that it wasn't a complete fail for half of my palm was fine still. It did little to lift my spirits, so after that we practiced with water until I had a decent handle on what I was doing._

_I glanced between my left hand and the floor board. Taking a deep breath, I focused my inner energies into my hand. Little by little, a dim aura pulsed around my hand. Perspiration formed on the crown of my head as the minutes ticked by. Finally, when the energy felt like it would go no more, I placed my hand in the middle of the board and forced the chakra from my hand into the flooring. Click! One of the ends popped up. A grin spread across my face as I ripped the board off._

_Beneath the plank was a long black box the fit snuggly in the cramped space. I pulled it out and carefully unhooking the silver latch that held the lid fast, unsure of what was in it. As I slowly raised the cover, the lighting glistening and sparkled across the blades that lay in pristine condition in the velvet fabric that lined the box. There was a katana, seven kunai, and seven shuriken in the container. My hands unconsciously glided across the beautiful weapons. The sirens enticing song didn't last long though._

_The apartment door opened with several footsteps rushing in. It was then slammed shut forcefully enough that the vibrations traveled to the upstairs. Securing the box, I dashed downstairs to see what was up. As I landed on the bottom, I saw Zabuza wielding his great sword, the Kubikiri Houchou, at the door ready to cut down any enemies that came through. This greatly confused me. I searched for Haku but I didn't see him. _

"_Haku?" I called out._

"_Over here," answered the boy in question from the bathroom. I hurried over to see him turning the sink and tub faucets on full blast._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Flooding the floor. Go plugged the kitchen sinks and turn the faucets on. Then grab your gear. After that get the bay windows open"_

_I didn't need an explanation now. I knew what was going on. We were going to get out of here, and from the way Zabuza was guarding the door, something told me we weren't going through the front door. I went over to the chair that held my supplies and made space for the box of weapons. I slung the backpack on my back and then went over to the windows and opened them._

_A blustery wind filled the room. Snow drifted ever so lightly on the breeze. It was just beginning to snow; it wouldn't be long before there was several feet of it. Zabuza remained poised at the door. Haku was forming several hand signals at a lightning fast speed. The water from the bathroom began pouring out faster and fell to the floor. The same thing happened with the kitchen. He never broke his concentration until the water was ankle deep. I had perched myself on the bench by the opened window to avoid getting water feet._

"_All right, Zabuza-san. Everything's ready," Haku announced looking once over everything. Zabuza relaxed and made his way over to the center of the room. He, like Haku, made hands signs, which I had learned helps allow you to correctly direct the necessary chakra energies into a jutsu. The water began to churn and form a spiraling column of water, the water level on the floor drop and I got off the bench seeing where the only exit was. He then stopped the hand signs and stretched his arms out towards the window._

_The pillar of water jetted out the window. I watched, from as close as I could get without getting wet, as the water went straight out before slopping down and slamming into the ground._

"_Now, Haku!" Zabuza shouted. I turned just in time to catch Haku perform a series of hand techniques before touching the water. From where he touched, the water rapidly began to freeze. It moved from the room and worked all the way to the ground outside. _

_Once froze, I approached the ice fixture. I tapped it, thinking it shatter into pieces. I climbed on the bench and noticed that the ice sculpture had formed into a slide. There was a depression in the center with walls along the sides. _

"_We slide down it?" I questioned wearily. It was a long way down and we were high up. Plus, it was made of ice. _

"_Yes. It quicker and saves time. Unless you'd rather fight through the entire compounds worth of soldiers?" Haku teased._

_Before I could retort, there was a bang against the door. I jumped. My heart picked up its pace and adrenaline was coursing through my veins._

"_Damn. I thought we had more time," Zabuza fumed, taking his blade up once more, and positioning himself back by the door area. Another bang followed be the sick shrill sound of drilled metal. _

_I faced Haku, "Will he follow?"_

"_Don't worry about him. He'll take care of himself. You go do first and head in the direction the slide spits you out in. Keep heading that way and you'll come upon a refugee base with others from my realm. To show that you are friendly, bring the katana out. They'll know."_

"_Wait! Aren't you following behind me?" I shrieked, fear gripping my heart. Why did this sound like he was saying good bye? The drilling stopped and things went silent._

"_No, I'm going to help Zabuza-san to hold them off. Alone, they'll over power him. With me, they will meet their maker."_

"_B-b-but-t," I stammered before being silenced with a hush from Haku._

"_Your safety is the utmost important. You need to survive. If we die protecting you then it was worth it."_

"_B-but, y-you c-can't," I blubbered tears falling from my eyes. Haku's eyes soften and he took a step in towards me. His hand gentle caressed my face; his touch melting me to the core. His face leaned in closer to mine. _

_Whispering gently he said, "We both know what's going to happen. Just remember this, meeting you has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I'll always be with you, in spirit. Just don't get hung over what's going to happen. Try to move on and help others that are stuck in the dark. You are the shining light that will help overcome any darkness that someone's lost in." The space between us closed as his lips meet mine in a kiss that revealed our emotions, our first and last kiss. We pulled away just as an explosive was detonated on the door._

_Haku covered me from the flying shrapnel. He then placed me with ease on the ice slide. He moved to push me down but I gripped on to his sleeve._

"_Haku! Don't!" I pleaded. A smile of remorse and unconditional love graced his features before he held my hand and pressed a pressure point causing me to release him._

"_I'm sorry. I love you," were the last words that left his lips before he shoved me, sending me down the ice. Never to see him again._

* * *

**Present**

* * *

A snap of a twig broke me out of my reverie. I jolted out of my spot, switching to a crouching position and bringing out the kunai that I had hidden in my sleeve. Not moving a muscle, I waited for the sound of footsteps, sniffing of the search hounds, muffled talking, or anything that would indicate that trackers were close on my tail.

Nothing moved. No sound, outside from my hushed breathing. Maybe it was just my imagination. I began to relax when a silver snout protruded from my brush barrier. Panicking, I slashed at the pine, hoping to catch the dog. A whining sounded as the snout retreated from my lair. I quickly threw the blankets and leftover food into the sack. I scrambled to get out of my hiding.

Bursting from the other side of the tree, I did a quick glance around and didn't notice anyone. I ran forward, weaving in and out of the thicket of trees. I stopped and ducked behind a great oak tree. Frost hung in the air as I inhaled and exhaled rapidly to catch my breath. The chilly air stung my throat. My heart pounded against my rib cage.

Cautiously, I peered around from the left side of the tree. Nothing. I peered at the other side and had the same results. Closing my eyes, I sighed and back leaned against the rough bark in relief. I opened my eyes towards the sky and casually brought them to the ground to find a pair of gold eyes staring at me. I gave a shriek of surprise. My heart leapt into my throat. I clutched my sack closer to my chest with my left arm and readied the kunai in my right hand.

The eyes belonged to a young wolf. The fur coat was a mixture of browns, golds, greys, and blacks. The coat wasn't shaggy like it would normally be. The wolf sat on its hunches and watched me with curiosity. It made no move to approach me.

I took out the weapons case. I placed the kunai back in it in exchange for the katana. I put the case back in the sack, keeping an eye on the wolf. I then stood up and sidestepped around it. The wolf kept an unwavering gaze on me, even as I walked backwards away from it.

I managed to get about four yards away from it before it got up and started following me. I stopped and the wolf stopped. I moved a few feet and it moved a few feet.

"Stop following me! You're going to get me caught," I yelled in a hushed tone, ever mindful that trackers could be near. The wolf just sat cocking its head to the side watching me.

I looked around for something to frighten the wolf and spied a stick protruding from the snow and went to grab it, but stopped when I heard, "Lark."

I froze. That voice sounded so familiar, but it couldn't be. It's been days since my escape. We both knew that I was going to be left alone. There is no way that it could be Haku. I wrestled with the thought of responding back but heart eventually overruled logic. So instead, I turned around to see who said it.

I gasped. There was no way. I had to be hallucinating. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Even at the second try, I saw him, Haku. I saw him standing next to the wolf.

"H-Haku?" I stuttered, my lip trembling.

"It's me, Lark. I told you I'd never leave you," he spoke gently.

I moved forward but stopped myself when I was three feet from him. I wanted to so badly reach out and touch him, but I didn't.

"You're not really here. Are you?" I quietly asked.

Haku's eyes down casted. He didn't need to say anything but the uncomfortable silence danced in the air with the hanging unanswered question. He halted the uneasiness by stating, "No. Not physically at least. Spiritually though, yes. As I said, I'd never leave you." He patted the wolf.

"Who is that?" I motioned towards the wolf.

"Him? He's a mixed wolf from my lands. I found him when he was a pup. He's yours now. He'll keep watch over you and be the physical part of me. His name is Yueri."

I stepped forth and held my left hand out. Yueri inched towards me and licked my hand. I grinned. "Haku, how much farther 'till I reach the base?" I inquired as I petted the wolf more.

"Not much further. You're getting clos-," he was cut off as Yueri growled, raising his heckles. I was just about to ask what was wrong when a gun fire sounded and I spun around to see trackers. I turned the other way to try and escape but found out that I was surrounded. Haku had disappeared from sight too, leaving me nervous and anxious.

"Well, well, look who we have here. It's about time we found you, sweetheart. You gave us quite a chase. Too bad it's got to end now," a taller man cooed stepping towards me. Yueri stopped his advances though by getting in between us. I readied the katana in my hand and prayed for a miracle.

That's exactly what I got too. Haku appeared next to me and said, "Don't worry help's here." I would have looked at him and said he as crazy, but I didn't think it be a good idea with soldiers around. I just nodded and prayed he was right.

The leader, I assumed, took another step. Yueri growled louder and one of the trackers in the rear gave a surprised yelp as he was hung upside down by his foot. I gapped in awe, while several others went down; acupuncture needles sticking out from vital areas.

Seizing the opportunity, I moved past Yueri and swung at the head trackers right hand, which held his gun. He cried out in pain. His henchmen, too stunned to help him, were diminishing in numbers slowly. The leader brought out a military issued Bowe knife. He slashed at me, I dodged and jumped backwards. Yueri pounced on his newly weaponized hand. I ran forward and stabbed my blade through his chest. His eyes went wide. His mouth hung open in disbelief. I pulled the katana out, and he fell to his knees and into the arms of death.

I took in the scene. The leader was now dead. There were three men dangling from the trees and roughly about seven others dead on the ground. Yueri sat on the right side of me. I looked up into the trees and waited.

"Show yourselves!" I shouted, brandishing the katana for all to see.

There was a rustle and not a second later, there were three people on the ground in front of me.

"You must be Lark," the only female in the group said. She had lavender eyes and violet-blue hair. She wore an over baggy tan coat that has a yellow circle with a red flame sown on the upper sleeve.

"Haku told us that you'd be coming," added one of the males behind her. He had black glasses and spiky hair. He wore a tan coat also but it was hooded and with no symbol on it.

"Yes. I'm Lark. Haku said that I could seek shelter westward. Thanks for rescuing me," I said bowing in gratitude.

"My name is Hinata Hyuuga," the girl informed.

"This is Shino Abrume." She motioned to the one that had spoken after her.

"And this one is Sai," she introduced her other teammate. He was very pale. He had black eyes and sable hair. He did not have a tan coat but rather a skin tight shirt that reached his midriff.

I nodded in acknowledgement before asking, "What we do now?"

"We wait until the hunter nins come to dispose of the bodies. Then we can leave and get you out of here," Hinata explained.

That's exactly what we did. We set up a small campfire away from the battle brawl scenario. We waited until the hunter nins came. Haku stayed with me as the three others discussed their mission and so on. Yueri fell asleep at my feet and stirred when he heard a rustle. It wasn't long before the nins came. We left and headed for the base, where it would lead to a new adventure. A new adventure with new friends and new enemies. I just hoped this time that I could be more help than a hindrance.

**Fin**

*Praenuntius – is Latin for harbinger


End file.
